Author: Emily Bronte

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    A little while, a little while,
    The weary task is put away,
    And I can sing and I can smile,
    Alike, while I have holiday.

    Why wilt thou go, my harassed heart,
    What thought, what scene invites thee now?
    What spot, or near or far,
    Has rest for thee, my weary brow?

    There is a spot, mid barren hills,
    Where winter howls, and driving rain;
    But if the dreary tempest chills,
    There is a light that warms again.

    The house is old, the trees are bare,
    Moonless above bends twilights dome;
    But what on earth is half so dear,
    So longed for, as the hearth of home?

    The mute bird sitting on the stone,
    The dank moss dripping from the wall,
    The thorn-trees gaunt, the walks oergrown,
    I love them, how I love them all!

    Still, as I mused, the naked room,
    The alien firelight died away,
    And from the midst of cheerless gloom
    I passed to bright unclouded day.

    A little and a lone green lane
    That opened on a common wide;
    A distant, dreamy, dim blue chain
    Of mountains circling every side;

    A heaven so clear, an earth so calm,
    So sweet, so soft, so hushed an air;
    And, deepening still the dream-like charm,
    Wild moor-sheep feeding everywhere.

    That was the scene, I knew it well;
    I knew the turfy pathways sweep
    That, winding oer each billowy swell,
    Marked out the tracks of wandering sheep.

    Even as I stood with raptured eye,
    Absorbed in bliss so deep and dear,
    My hour of rest had fleeted by,
    And back came labour, bondage, care.

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Type of Poem: Reflective Poem

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a contemplative piece that explores themes of respite, longing, and the impermanent nature of peace. It uses vivid and emotive imagery to communicate the speaker's internal journey from a state of burdened weariness to one of momentary tranquility.

The poem's structure is consistent, maintaining a steady rhythm and rhyme scheme that lends a soothing musicality, reflecting the moments of peace the speaker experiences. The tone oscillates between weary resignation and hopeful longing, capturing the human condition's struggle between duty and desire for rest.

There are compelling uses of contrast and parallelism throughout. The harshness of "barren hills" and "winter howls" is juxtaposed against the warmth and comfort of an old house's hearth, symbolizing a refuge amid life's storms. The "naked room" with its "alien firelight" stands in stark contrast to the "bright unclouded day," representing the transition from desolation to joy.

The poem also employs pastoral imagery—green lanes, wide commons, distant mountains, and wandering sheep—which imbues a sense of tranquillity and natural simplicity. This reinforces the theme of longing for a simpler, unburdened existence.

Finally, the poem ends with a return to labor and care, suggesting the fleeting nature of such peaceful moments. This return to reality serves as a poignant reminder of the inevitable pull of duties and responsibilities, reinforcing the cyclical nature of struggle and rest in our lives.